(I’ve also resisted the temptation to add Little Big Planet, but I wouldn’t be too surprised to see it in here next year.)

10. (NE) Peggle (PC/iPod) – If you added up all the hours I’ve spent on games over the last couple of years, I think Peggle would probably come out on top. You might think it’s completely random, but the fact is that you can get better at it over time. Impossible challenges become possible not simply through luck, but also through your increased knowledge and skills. Which is to say, it’s a game. A real, proper game. Fearfully addictive, impeccably designed, incredibly polished. It is, I think, pretty much perfect. And I love it. The iPod version isn’t quite as good – there’s the odd bit of weirdness with ball movement and the lack of a “speed up” button hurts it – but it’s still Peggle.

9. (NE) Animal Crossing: Let’s Go To The City (Wii) – My heart will probably always belong to the DS version, because that helped me through the long distance stage of my relationship with my now-wife. However, the Wii version is just better. It’s the same, but more so, with more items, characters, dialogue, activities, etc. There’s just something wonderfully relaxing about having a Crossing town to pop into after a hard day and I hope the series keeps on being updated and I hope it never changes too much.

8. (NE) GTA IV (360) – The best GTA game – though Saints Row 2 gives it a run for its money – with the best characters in any game, ever. Sure, I’m so pathetic that Suikoden 2 made me cry back in the day, but never have I cared for characters as much as I cared for Niko Bellic and chums. But the game was also incredibly good. The cover system made shooting people a joy, the car handling was new, different and fun and Liberty City was am amazing place to have adventures. Still, if it wasn’t for Niko, this wouldn’t have quite made the top ten.

7. (8) Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness (PSP) – I don’t play it as much as I think I should, but that doesn’t stop it being one of the best games ever made. It’s an SRPG sandbox, with depths I’ve never reached. In all the years I’ve played, I’ve still only skated on the surface. The PS2 and DS versions are excellent, excellent games, but the PSP version gets my vote. I miss the DS version’s map, but it’s a lot smoother. It shouldn’t matter in a turn-based game, but I find the technical issues in the DS version very distracting. I’m just shallow like that sometimes.

6. (4) Mr Driller: Drill Spirits (DS) – I still play this fairly often, years after I first played it. I would really, really like a sequel please, Namco. But I don’t really need one, as there are still several stages in the main game that I’ve yet to clear. The 1500m stage has kept me going for a couple of years so far.

5. (5) Crackdown (360) – Same place as last year, despite the fact that I’ve not played it. I always think about it, though, and it’s never getting traded or sold. I will go back one day. I keep nearly playing it, but instead play newer games. I think I need to set a day aside soon, reset the city and go for it. I’ll jump around, shoot lots of bad guys and maybe even drive a car or two. The layout of the city is imprinted into my brain. I can run round it in my head even now. The best superhero game ever made.

4. (NE) Hitman: Blood Money (360) – I can’t quite believe this has never made my top ten before. Maybe it’s only in the last year that I’ve come to fully appreciate it. Each level is a puzzle with multiple solutions. Even if you’re going for a Silent Assassin rating there are different ways to approach levels. It’s an amazing balancing act, to give you so many ways to do things without making the game too easy. Also, very importantly, the game’s great fun when things go wrong, as well as when they’re going right. When your disguises work, when you stroll through levels unnoticed and untouched, you feel amazing. When you’re caught and the guns come out and you have to salvage something from the situation, the panic rises, the rag-dolls fly and, well, normally you die. But sometimes you don’t. It’s such a shame that the demo was just the tutorial level, as showing people the controls and rules of the game doesn’t show them the game itself. It doesn’t help, either, that the fist real level is easily the weakest of the bunch. I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it – this is the fourth best game ever made.

3. (RE) OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (Xbox/PSP) – Dropped out of my top ten last year, because I’m an idiot. A game I’m still playing after it’s been out for years. A small selection of short stages. A small selection of cars, many of which feel very similar indeed. And the PSP’s analogue nub to contend with. Yet it’s still absolutely brilliant to play and feels fresh and exciting every time you start it up. How good must the two first levels be, to still be fun after all this time? Third-best-game-of-all-time good, that’s how good. There’s a version coming to Live Arcade and the Playstation Network any time now. I can’t wait.

2. (3) ICO (PS2) – Every year this seems to climb the top ten, despite me not having played the game. I should play it through again sometime, to make sure it’s worthy of this high praise. I know I’ll get annoyed by the combat. I know I’ll get stuck on some puzzles I should remember how to complete. I know I’ll get incredibly frustrated… but I’ll be back with Yorda in that lonely castle. I’ll see the sun again, the trees, the windmill, the great crumbling towers and bridges, the halls, the caverns… the beach. Yes, yes. I need to play this again.

1. (1) Doom (PC/360) – No surprise to see this year, what with it being the best game ever and all. It’s never been bettered. It’s looking likely that it never will be. The perfect combination of controls, weapons, enemies and level design. But can we have Doom II on Live Arcade please?

Stupid game.

I was having fun until I got to an annoying one that involves stealing a helicopter from a military base, which made me growl.

Still, I seem to have played for five hours since I restarted the game last night, which is quite something.

1) The graphics look jaw-droppingly horrible for the first two minutes. This new generation of HD gaming has spoiled me. Luckily, within a few minutes I’d forgotten the technical deficiencies entirely.

2) The aiming on the Dual Shock stick is completely awful. Didn’t really notice until I tried a shooting mini game in an Ammunation, but, ugh.

3) I can remember huge amounts of the map. Gun locations, safe houses, Cluckin’ Bells, etc. I don’t know all the map, but I’m sure I shouldn’t remember the layout quite so well two years after I last played.

Anyway, it still plays brilliantly, it’s great and while the aiming was never good and the years haven’t been kind to the graphics, everything else has stood the test of time immensely well. I was worried I was going to destroy some precious memories, but I didn’t. Yay.

And I completed the mission I’d been stuck on when I last played. Hooray!

2007

10. (NE) Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
9. (NE) OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (XBOX/PSP)
8. (7) World of Warcraft (PC)
7. (9) Mr Driller: Drill Spirits (DS)
6. (10) Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
5. (6) ICO (PS2)
4. (3) GTA: San Andreas (PS2)
3. (4) Mario 64 (N64)
2. (NE) Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (360/PC)
1. (1) Doom (PC/360)

2006

10. (NE) Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
9. (6) Mr Driller: Drill Spirits (DS)
8. (10) Resident Evil 4 (GC)
7. (NE) World of Warcraft (PC)
6. (5) ICO (PS2)
5. (7) OutRun 2 (XBOX)
4. (2) Mario 64 (N64)
3. (8) GTA: San Andreas (PS2)
2. (3) Elder Scrolls: Morrowind GOTY (PC)
1. (1) Doom (PC)

2005

10. (NE) Resident Evil 4 (GC)
9. (5) Giga Wing (DC/PC/MAC)
8. (NE) GTA: San Andreas (PS2)
7. (NE) OutRun 2 (Xbox)
6. (NE) Mr Driller Drill Spirits (DS)
5. (4) ICO (PS2)
4. (NE) Disgaea (PS2)
3. (NE) Morrowind: GOTY (PC/Xbox)
2. (3) Mario 64 (N64/DS)
1. (1) Doom (PC)

2004

10. Advance Wars 2 (GBA)
9. Rez (Playstation 2)
8. Halo (Xbox)
7. Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night (Playstation)
6. Super Monkey Ball (Gamecube)
5. Giga Wing (Dreamcast)
4. ICO (Playstation 2)
3. Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)
2. Grand Theft Auto 3 (Playstation 2)
1. Doom (PC)

Seems I didn’t do one in 2003, but in 2002 I did. Only two of those are in the top ten now.

2002

10. Sam & Max
9. Lode Runner
8. Suikoden 2
7. Rollercoaster Tycoon
6. Giga Wing
5. Rez
4. ICO
3. Mario 64
2. GTA3
1. Doom

Please note that the list is based on love, rather than technical expertise, importance or any of that other guff. The list below is games that, for whatever reason, I just fell in love with and which I’d love to play today. It’s not a list of “desert island” games – if I was going to be trapped for a long time I’d probably take Civilization 4 over Portal, for example, and would probably want World of Warcraft in there – but all these games I genuinely love.

It’s my favourite games. It’s completely subjective. But that’s kind of the point and I think it’s the only way you can honestly and realistically talk about the games being the “best”.

10. (NE) Portal (360)

Can a game really be one of the ten best games ever when it’s only three hours long? When it’s as good as Portal, yes. It’s got the best script ever – in a moment of madness shortly after completing the game I even toyed with getting “The cake is a lie” tattooed on my person – it’s got great puzzles and it’s just about the best single evening of gaming I’ve ever had. Funniest game ever, also. And the it’s got the best song in any game, ever, too. Genius.

9. (6) Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

It feels odd putting this in a list of the best games, because it doesn’t feel like a game. It feels like a place. I didn’t so much play Animal Crossing as live in Venture (my town) and Vatican (my wife’s town) for a year or so. It has special significance for me, because before I married my wife we were in a long distance relationship and we used Animal Crossing to reduce that distance. We’d sit on the phone talking, with a DS each, visiting each other, fishing, giving presents, getting to know the animal residents and sometimes just sitting in my kitchen to have some tea together. (And swearing when the connection died and we’d have to restart.) That’s why it’s in my top ten.

8. (NE) Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness (PSP)

The PS2 version has been hovering near my top ten since it came out. The PSP version has pushed it over the edge. It’s the same great game, but there’s even more of it and, most importantly, it’s portable. When the wife’s watching TV, when I’ve got a spare few moments in the office at lunchtime, when I plain just to want to play it, it’s there. (As long as I’ve remembered to charge the PSP. I’ve got pretty good at that now, though.) It’s sandbox strategy – and I do like my sandboxes. It’s not about the story, it’s about the team. Creating your own team to your own specifications. There’s an attachment to the characters you create that’s unmatched in any game – and is slightly ridiculous given the fact that they never speak or do anything but fight. Somehow, though, my Golem Franky has become friends with my Prinnies. There’s no in-game dialogue to that effect, no cut scenes showing them together, but I just tend to use them together in attacks and that’s been translated in my head into an emotional bond between them. Looking at this list, I think that if I could play any game right now, it would be this one.

7. (NE) Halo 3 (360)

You’re probably looking at this and thinking a couple of things. “This must be a vote for the series, not the game.” “This is in the top ten for the multiplayer alone.” Wrong on both counts. Halo was single-player heaven, but I never got on with the multi-player side of things. Halo 2 twisted the other way. I loved it online, but never finished the single player portion. (I read the plot summary on Wikipedia when Halo 3 came out so I’d know what was going on.) Halo 3 is the best of both worlds. The multiplayer is exceptional. With a good group of friends it’s the best shooter I’ve ever played online. But it’s the single player side that really surprised me, in that I can get hopelessly stuck and spend days on a single checkpoint and still love playing it. That’s probably the reason it’s here, more than the co-op or the Theater or the new Forge-made games.

6. (2) Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (360/PC)

This has lost quite a few places since last year. Mainly because I feel like I’ve exhausted it. I nearly even dropped it from the top ten. But then I started thinking harder about it. About the memories. The Dark Brotherhood missions. Finding ruins and sneaking through them to get lovely treasures. The snow at night and bears on the road. Leaping over the rooftops. Stealing from castles. Great moments, all of them. The trouble is that while I’ve still got lots more to do – I’ve barely touched The Shivering Isles, I’m half-way through the Mages Guild quests and haven’t joined the Fighters Guild – my character has peaked. It’s been hours and hours since I found any new kit that improves on what I’ve got and my most important skills are close to being maxed out, if they’re not already there. Oh, and recharging and repairing all my magical items is a very annoying chore. That’s why it’s not the second best game ever. The couple of hundred hours of glorious gaming fun it gave me before I reached this point is the reason it’s still number six on the list. And it’s been a long time since I last played, maybe it’ll feel fresh again. There’s all that Shivering Isles stuff to do. And a ghost on the shore I never did go to see. And maybe I should work out what spells I need to shoot at the pillars in those underground ruins to advance through the Mages Guild. And I’m handy with a sword now, maybe the Fighters Guild could do with my skills…

5. (NE) Crackdown (360)

I wasn’t expecting this. Like many others, I bought Crackdown because I hoped it would be good, but also because I wanted to play the Halo 3 beta. I was hoping for a fun game that would be worth the cash. What I got was one of the greatest games of all time. I love my sandboxes, as I think I’ve mentioned. That’s pretty much all Crackdown is. Story is kept to an absolute minimum, freedom reigns. Good, good, good. The main pleasure is the jumping, obviously, but that’s not to say there’s anything wrong with the rest of it. It’s just an absolute joy to play. Jumping, running, driving, shooting, kicking… don’t forget the kicking. And don’t forget the Agency Tower. Virtual vertigo never felt so real. Oh, and to cap it all, the phrase “Good work agent” has entered the everyday vocabulary of my household. The announcer is wonderful, despite claiming to be able to see his house when I’m in a tunnel somewhere.

4. (7) Mr Driller: Drill Spirits (DS)

The best Mr Driller game there is. If you’re an English speaker and you like handheld games. Which I am and I do. I can always go back to this and have fun. Tetris I’ve tired of, but Mr Driller keeps on giving. Great music and sound effects, but perfectly playable in silence – as all the best handheld games are. Where’s the sequel, Mister Namco?

3. (5) Ico (PS2)

I told you this top ten list was all about love. My love for this game keeps growing, even though I’ve not played it for a long, long time. I probably should. I should check that the puzzles are still head-scratching fun. I should check that the combat isn’t as annoying as many people say it is. I should check that it still looks gorgeous. I should check that the relationship between Ico and Yorda still tugs my heartstrings in all the right ways… Or maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe it should just be left to memories, like so much of life and love.

2. (NE) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

Do I really need to explain why this is here? Surely everybody has played it by now? Surely everybody loves it into tiny little pieces? Well, no and no. There are people without Wiis. There are Internet grumblers. There are people who this just hasn’t clicked with, through no fault of their own and no fault of the game. I’ll just say that played in co-op with my wife this is gaming perfection. It’s just right. It’s honed and polished and it’s big and bright and colourful and fun and – I’m going to have to use the j-word again, but this time in caps – it’s pure JOY. And then, after sixty-odd stars, it starts getting difficult and the JOY fades somewhat, but that gaming determination, that feeling of “I will beat this level if it kills me”, grows and grows and the experience is completely different, but still brilliant and Nintendo have finally done it. Mario 64, your time is up. Go home, old man. Get some rest. Super Mario Galaxy is here now. And I don’t think it’s going anywhere.

1. (1) Doom (PC/360)

I give up. Every year I wait for the Doom-beater. It never comes. This is the best game ever. It has been since it was released and it doesn’t look like shifting from the top spot any time soon. No game feels like Doom, you see. The speed is just right and the responsiveness of all the controls are perfect. Much to my own frustration I can’t explain what I mean by “feel”, but it’s just magic. (Resistance: Fall of Man feels very similar, which is why I think I liked it so much.) We’ve got a special understanding, I think. There’s no barrier between us. Sure, I’m still rubbish at it. I die a lot. Over and over again. But so what? It’s a tough world out there. And the shotgun still hasn’t been bettered. (Though Painkiller’s stake gun came close.)